If tomorrow comes........

Twilight

2009-12-02T23:25:00.005-05:00

I am not sure if I am more smitten with Edward Cullen or with Rob Pattinson. All I know is that I've finished the first two books in the last three days and I can not wait to read more.

The Forbidden Fruit

2009-11-28T11:13:00.003-05:00

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

- Genesis 2:17

We all chase the unknowable. We all challenge the undoable.

And the winner is ...

2009-06-17T17:43:00.004-04:00

The winner of Best Reason for a Common Cold Contest goes to S, who thinks that since she has been drinking so much water lately (thanks to my lecture on benefits of water and its effect on weight loss), her body is just trying to flush out the excess .... with a common cold.

Lunch

2009-06-12T13:50:00.001-04:00

Its amazing how brilliant (read stupid) ideas flow in when the topic of a talk is useless.

D's in not-so-good circumstances at the present. His wife has crashed his much loved car and S, the new intern at work is making him work. Funny how that is. It should have been the other way around but then thats another long story.

At lunch:

T: My lunch is tasteless.

A (to D): You brought cereals to lunch? Whats the matter with you?

D: I am dieting.

A: But that milk looks yellow.

Me (to T): Woo, your lunch looks nice.

H: Oh yea, I agree.

T (clearly disconcerted): No, its not very nice. Actually, it is tasteless.

H: Really? It doesnt look tasteless. Are you just saying that so we do not eat it?

T: No. You can take a bite if you want.

H: Ohk. (Takes a large bite from T's plate.) This is delicious. You liar.

Me: Hmm, if T thinks this is tasteless and we think its delicious, imagine what his tasty lunch would be like.

H: True.

A (to D): Cereals is all you are going to eat?

D: No, I have this whole grain bread as well.

A: Bread with what?

D: Just bread. I dont really like it. It tastes like cardboard.

A: Yikes, you got to eat it with something man. Here have S's curry stuff.

D: Yes, it does look yummy but she has almost eaten all of it.

S: Oh, I am sorry. I didnt know you wanted some.

H: D, you should have demanded her lunch from her. You should have refused to do her work otherwise.

D: Yea, I didnt think of that.

A: You think cereals and cardboard bread will help you lose weight? Are you exercising?

D: No, not really.

A: You should run to work man. Your car is broke anyways.

D: I have a rental car. It runs fast unlike my car which drives like a golf cart.

H: So you are the one who causes all the traffic.

A: Aha.

H: Then it doesnt really matter. You should just run, you'd probably reach faster than your golf cart.

Me: Yes, maybe you'd want your wife to come anyways so you can throw your stuff in the car and then run. She could drive alongside you, like they do in marathons.

H: Yes and when you are thirsty, she can splash water on you.

D: Hmm.

T: My lunch is tasteless.

H: Its better than mine.

T: No, you have tofu.

H: Ok, I will give you a piece of the tofu. Will you give me some more of your lunch?

T: Sure.

They exchange stuff.

H: Yummmmmm.

A (to D): Hey I know. You could bike. Your house is what, 4 miles from here?

D: I could.

A: Yes, you could take the turnpike and the speed limit there is 70mph. You'd really lose weight man.

D: What? Are you crazy?

Me: Running is better. You could have S run behind you. You would keep running to keep away from her, I am sure.

S: Hehe, I could do that. Run after D.

D: Yea sure. Thats all I want.

A: Man, we are only trying to help you lose weight.

Me: Hehe.

H: Hehe.

T: My lunch is tasteless.

Dreams of Tomorrow...

2009-03-15T00:00:00.008-04:00

Thanks to this blog and this, to S and to Google (more specifically Orkut, Gmail and GTalk). Because of these/them, I have someone to dream with of tomorrow. :D

Change?

2008-11-07T19:23:00.003-05:00

I think even people at call centers have bigger cubes...

2008-08-28T16:01:00.007-04:00

N: What is the matter with you, G?
G (pointing to the small cubes where people are sitting huddled): We are the call center.
N: Lol.
G: I need space man. There is no privacy here. I don't even have to turn to see the person sitting next to me. They call these cubicles?
N: I agree with you.
G: This is stupid. My home office is bigger than this.
N: Where is your home office?
G: At home.
N: Lol.
G: No seriously man. I need space. Look at the astronauts. Even they have SPACE. Why not us?

Will miss you G, at the new place.

My latest craze.....

2008-08-13T18:35:00.006-04:00

is Michael Phelps.

He is officially the world's greatest Olympian of all time. Totally focussed. Loves his Mom. Unbelievably hot.

2008-08-08T15:11:00.003-04:00

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."

Randmo

2008-07-08T00:08:00.005-04:00

Do these make you mad?
- Sitting in the middle seat in the airplane. Especially when either of the persons sitting next to you is spilling out of the seat onto yours.
- People chewing on nothing. I heard someone chew on coffee during a meeting. The whole of the meeting I spent wondering if he had coffee beans in his coffee.

On the other hand, I was elated when my Mom told me that I make better Chai than her.

I think everyone loves being pampered by their parents. The reverse is true too. Try pampering your parents for a change, its a different feeling. Plus you can get back at them by being in charge. Remember all the lousy pocket money they gave you during the time you needed it the most?

Overheard....

2008-05-31T00:48:00.003-04:00

In the office.
X: You know, whenever I find Mr. Right, my husband scares him away.

On TV.
Random guy: Tempe. God, its so hot in Tempe that these days Paris Hilton says, "Oh,its soooo Tempe".

So you think you have the best pick up line?

2008-05-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

Think again.

My friend came up with this one:

Tu Sita Apun Ram
Aati kya exile pe?

I think the girl would say "Yes" atleast considering the effort he put in to come up with that line.

Courtesy: H B
Thanks for the consent to publish copyrighted material. :P
And hey, best of the best to you.

Update

2008-04-29T15:32:00.005-04:00

What I am reading these days - Abhi's blog. His earlier posts are so amateurish. Its fun to see how a blogger evolved from his/her early days to what he/she is at present.

What I am eating these days - Kaju katli and Kachori. Yummy. Have to watch out and try eating my heartful until V comes home, she'd have no problem gobbling all of them up in a day or two.

What I am feeling right now - All those forwarded emails and crap about letting-others-know-what-you-feel-as-you-might-never-get-the-chance-to-do-so-later is all BS. If you miss someone, never tell them so. Makes you feel like you are the silliest person on Planet Earth.

What I should really be doing - Getting back to work and reading a bunch of technical documents.

2008-04-08T13:36:00.002-04:00

"I wonder how it would be
To lose myself in the dawn.
To knock on transparent doors
And know no one will answer."

Cravings...

2008-03-26T19:06:00.004-04:00

Been craving Chai lately. I used to hate tea, was a coffee drinker all along. But somehow, somewhere along the line, I've started loving it. The funny thing is that the craving starts at weird times. In the afternoons at work. At night when I am almost about to fall asleep. In the weekends when I've just finished having one cup. Not that I can not get tea at work but I crave the Elaichi Chai.

Also been thinking how cool it would be to have a windowsill on which I could sit and look out. Look at the rain, look at people, look at the traffic, look at trees, look at the sunrise, look at the sunset.

Living life the easy way,
got your way to let it run,
nothing is as cool as drifting in the sun light,
and taking things the way they come.

Glimpses of Kerala

2008-03-10T14:30:00.013-04:00

I wrote this post a few weeks back so please read accordingly.....

Back from a 3 week short vacation in India. The trip was fun but short. The best part was my visit to Kerala, which was after a gap of more than 5 years. I had forgotten how beautiful Kerala is.

Travelled to and fro from Mumbai by train and that was quite an experience in itself. Had some funny and stupid conversations with random people.

Love-to-chat Lady: Which part of US are you in?
Me: California.
Love-to-chat Lady: Is it very cold there?
Me: It does get cold but it's normally above 0 degrees Celsius.
Love-to-chat Lady: So does it like snow over there?
Me: (Pause) No, its almost always above freezing point, so it doesn't snow.

For people who do not know, the train from Mumbai to Kerala passes through a whole of states, used to take around 3 days one way but the Konkan railway has helped cut down that time to half. So as soon as the train crossed into the Kerala border, I got so excited that I started clicking pictures with my digital camera. Maybe I shouldnt have done that. In front of so many people. Maybe they felt it was a show off.

Gujju man: Could I see your camera?
Me: Yea sure.
Gujju man: Its digital?
Me: Yes, it is.
Gujju man: How many megapixels?
Me: 5.1.
Gujju man: Oh, we had one that was 7.2.
Me: Cool.
Gujju man: How much did you get it for?
Me: I got it in a deal for 170$.
Gujju man: We got ours for 400$, you know. It was vairy naaice.
Me: Ok.

Talking about show off, my Dad thought I was a show off coz I acted all clean and whined a few times about certain things.

Dad: What's that on your slippers?
Me: What? Oh no, I got dust all over them. (looking at them and eventually my feet) Oh my god, I've got dirt on my legs too. Yuck, I'll never wear flipflops in India.
Dad: Come on, dont be such a spoiled brat. You've grown up here. You've only been out of the country for 5 years.
Me: (sulking) Hmm.
Aunt (entering room): I cant believe how hot it is in India.
Me: But Aunty, Dubai is hot too. (She'd just come back from visiting her hubby in Dubai for 3 months)
Aunt: Yea it is. But there is AC everywhere you know. I wish they would at least have fans here. It is soooo hot.
Me (looking at Dad smugly who was looking everywhere else but towards me): Yea, they should.

All in all, it was a good trip. Oh but did I mention that it was very short?

Yahaan sab kuch hai Maa, phir bhi, lage bin tere mujhko akela.

2008-01-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

Checklist:

- Buy Ziploc bags. Mom really loved them. I am sure she reused them until they could no longer be reused.
- Buy razors for Dad. Apparently, he did not like the Gillette Electric shaver I gifted him last time.
- Buy lots and lots of chocolates.

Yaay, I am going to India, after 2 years and a little more than a month.

Although there is the fear and apprehension of things that would happen in India, I am still really excited to go back to the place I call home and more so to go back to my Mom.

Medusa

2008-01-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

Top Speed: 61mph.
Elevation: 142 feet.
Length: 3,985 feet.
Duration: 3 minutes, 15 seconds.

Six Flags boasts:

Look fear in the eye on Medusa—the world's first floorless coaster.
Strap into a flying chair with nothing underfoot and plunge 13 stories. Then rocket through highly-banked turns at up to 61 mph for three heart-pounding minutes.

Once on it, I felt fear. Screamed my lungs out. Had my eyes shut tight. Opened them a couple of times but was terrified that I would fall out of the chair and die before 2008 dawned on me.

Yes, I am shit scared of thrill rides.

Random Rambling

2007-12-16T16:54:00.000-05:00

Me: What'd you do in the weekend?
B: I met my high school friend over the weekend. He has lost around 60 pounds.
Me: Wow. 60 pounds? Thats a lot. What did he do?
B: He just stopped eating food. He gave me a list of instructions , I don't think I'd be able to follow them.
Me: Why?
B: I cant just stop eating food.
Me: Yea. You dont have to stop eating, just watch what you eat.
And I started blabbering a little about how rice makes a difference or something.
B: You, you don't say anything about food and diet.
Me: Why not?
B: Well, you are just 2D. Thats why.

---

At noon my time (2pm for V).
Me: Did you go check on it?
V: No I just got up half an hour back. I am lunching right now. Will go check in 5 minutes.
Me: Ok. Call me when done.
V: Sure.
An hour and 20 minutes later.
V: Hey, I got the stuff.
Me: 5 minutes, eh?
V: Hee.
Me: Sigh. Student life!!

---

R: I look really sexy today.
Me: Ahem. You just claim that about yourself, ha?
R: Well, I've jelled my hair and I am wearing this new sweater that looks fab on me.
Me: Yea? Nice.
R: Yup, I was feeling sexy right from the time I got out of the shower today. That's when I thought I would make all these extra efforts.
Me (thinking to myself): Why me? Why me? God. Why me?

---

i: You complain too much.
Me: Yea, I know.
i: You complain so much that you complain in my dream too.
Me: Noooo, thats not my fault.
i: It is.

Random

2007-12-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

I am afraid.
I end up doing the things,
that I don't want to do,
that I shouldn't do.

Does this happen to everyone?
Or am I the only one with OCD?

I am afraid,
that I will lose all the good things in life,
that I will lose everything.

Resolutions

2007-12-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

Remember this post where I cribbed about change? Yea, here I am going to refute my own post.

So things have been constant for a while. I am at the same place from sometime and know that I will be here in the coming few months. Work hasn't been really hectic. I know what I am supposed to do and being the complete-the-work-well-before-the-deadline type, I have quite some time on my hands. Yup, life is boring. And the holiday season does not make it better either. Everyone is busy planning their vacation. I get more than one out of office reply every day. Plus wherever I go to, there is this huge christmas tree emphasizing my insignificance and total uselessness. I dont like them trees, when I am alone.

God, I need a change real bad. No no, not the kind that would plunge me into desperation and woebegoneness. I need just a tiny miny change to spice up my life a little.

Anyways, I decided to make a random list of things I've always wanted to do/learn/see/places I wanted to go to/people I want to meet. I know its a little early for New Year resolutions (not that these are resolutions exactly) but maybe the extra days would help me do atleast one by next year end. Bummer.

Adopt*. Andre Agassi. Basketball. Brad Pitt. Charity. Dance**. Dwyane Wade. David Beckham. Europe. Flying***. Guitar. Hitler****. Ice skating. Idealist philosophy. Johnny Depp. Kobe Bryant. Kapil Dev. Kickboxing. Learn a new language. Macros. Nia. Osho****. PhD. Prince William. Quit cribbing. Run a marathon. Surfing. Stewie Griffin****. Sachin Tendulkar. Steffi Graf. Time machine. UFO*****. Voldemort****. Work out regularly. Write******. Xbox. Yaadon ki Baaraat*******. Yamin Elliot********. Zen.

* Its not only children one can adopt. One can adopt animals too. Or even a highway.
** Any kind would do. Right now, Hula seems pretty interesting.
*** airplanes, helicopters, kites.
**** Cant meet these people, but couldnt resist including them in the list.
***** Maybe I could leave cookies and milk outside to lure the aliens.
****** I miss writing in a diary. I should try Livejournal or Online Diary.
******* Have always wanted to see this movie, maybe next year.
******** Remember the cute American Idol finalist? I sooo wanted him to win.

Waah, who am I kidding? I should stop misleading myself.

As seen on bumper stickers....Part II......

2007-11-18T18:52:00.003-05:00

I do not suffer from insanity, I enjoy every moment of it.

After we bring democracy to Iraq, can we have some here?

Mary had a little lamb... and it was delicious.

Say this real fast......I am we todd did....Sofa king we todd did.

There's no place like 127.0.0.1.

Did you know.....

2007-11-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

.....about wormholes? A wormhole is a hypothetical warp of space that can serve as a shortcut between two different regions of the universe. So its sort of like if a worm drilled a hole through an apple from one side to the other. If I were an ant and lived on the surface of the apple, there could be two routes for me to get from one side of the apple to the other. One is around the outside, on the surface; the other is down the wormhole which is shorter than the first route. Pretty fascinating huh? Whats more is that time travel might also be possible if wormholes really do exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhole

http://www.hypography.com/topics/wormholes.cfm

Revelation

2007-10-23T12:55:00.000-04:00

J. K. Rowling announced on Oct 19th that Albus Dumbledore's gay.

Albus Dumbledore, the wise headmaster of Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with the twinkling blue eyes and half moon spectacles was the only person who could stand up against the Ministry of Magic and the only wizard the Dark Lord feared. He was one of the prime and most revered characters in the Harry Potter series. Believe it or not, I cried when Dumbledore died in the sixth part and I am sure I'll do the same when I see the movie.

Now, dont get me wrong here, it doesnt matter whether Dumbledore was gay or straight. I think many fans would not have a problem with him being gay. Its just that Rowling failed to mention it in any of the books. How difficult would it have been to reveal it somewhere, atleast in the final book? I think its really unfair on her part to have left out that piece of information. Anyways, I think I will have to read the books again, atleast the part about Dumbledore and Grindelwald to see what I missed coz of my preconceived notion.

No, I wouldnt mind reading the books again. :D

Livin the dream

2007-10-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

I watched Goal! and GoalII over the weekend. Yeah, I have a thing for movies with a sports theme. So I loved Goal! and GoalII (the first part is better) as much as I loved A League of their Own, Miracle, Coach Carter, Friday Night Lights, Invincible, Bend it like Beckham, Wimbledon, Lagaan and Chak De.

The movie has a good storyline and features the oh-so-hawt Kuno Becker. Other than that, I simply loved Stephen Dillane and Anna Freil's British accent. Really, who wouldnt find the 'Aye', 'bloke', 'gaff', 'Bloody hell', 'Gaffer', 'Shite', 'Bonny lad', 'Piss off' amusing? Check out the songs - 'Club Foot' by Kasabian and 'Who put the wieght of the world on my shoulders?' by Oasis.

I was checking out Dillane and Freil on IMDB and saw David Beckham's profile on it too. Wow, the guy's in more than 50 movies and ofcourse appears as himself. Now, how many people get to do that. Really impressive.

Pigeonholing

2007-10-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

“Consider the fact that what you dislike in others is the very thing that you dislike the most about yourself. Before you go around preaching your thoughts to the people around you, make sure that you are not guilty of the very things you are condemning.”

-- says my horoscope.

For people who did not know, I like astrology, palm reading, and the like. Anything that can tell me what the future holds. Anyways, coming back to the present, I was going to start the post as, “I hate it when people stereotype me or take me for granted.” That is, before I read my horoscope.

So, now the question is, do I pigeonhole? Maybe I do but that's only when I don't know a person very well. When you know a person, it isnt possible to pigeonhole him/her, they are who they are.

Anyways, as this post and my argument are going nowhere, I’ll get back to my work and music. Oh, btw, heard the ‘Whine Up’ song by Kat Deluna? I’d heard it somewhere (the Spanish version) and was frantically searching for it without knowing the lyrics and the singer, until yesterday. Phew!

I like it better in Spanish.

Random

2007-07-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

It is natural to feel deflated when your best isn't good enough.

-As heard on Planet Earth (Birds of Paradise)

Mind over Heart?

2007-07-13T00:12:00.000-04:00

“So, when is your turn, eh? When do we get the good news?”

“Any luck finding that special someone?”

“Oh, how are you and random guy doing? I heard you guys are together.” (Really? Surely, I should have known that?)

You get the picture, don't you? I am so sick and tired of listening to such questions, that lately, I have started to think it is actually better that someone else pick out a person for me. I have also started devising a theory which makes me believe/want to believe what I think.

I thought I was much more attached to my parents and sister than to friends because we are related by blood. How do I then explain why I don't feel the same for relatives even though they are related to me? Maybe spending time with anyone would help me accept the person the way they are.

A person who goes in for an “arranged” marriage, is fully aware of this and knows that there might be things he/she doesn't like about the other person but has to still accept the fact that they would be together forever.

Now, a person who believes in “love”, listens to his heart more than his mind, thinks the world is a fairy tale and that everything will work out when he/she is in “love”. And even if he/she meets someone whom they like and who likes them (which is a rare feat in itself, I must say), there are other factors that could weigh down their world of perfect love.

Now knowing this, what seems more sensibe, ha?

There you go. Nice theory. Clearly, “arranged” is the way to go.
- says the mind.

Yadda Yadda Yadda.
- says my heart.

PS – I really empathize with people who had the patience to read this post till the very end.

The Gods must be crazy.

They made me write this.

Off timing

2007-07-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

Remember the time you wanted something so bad that you thought you wouldnt be able to live without it?

Remember the pain and frustration and hours of relentless despair when you didnt get what you wanted?

Remember the perplexity when later you get the same thing but dont want it anymore or have lost interest?

Yea exactly.

Whatif

2007-06-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow tall?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
in the nighttime, Whatifs strike again!

-Shel Silverstein

PS - Stricken by a lot of Whatif's lately.

Aint this cute?

2007-06-19T13:59:00.000-04:00

The Fall

2007-05-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

Conversation between me and my sister:

(Yes, I know it should be 'my sister and I'. I, like Russell Peters, just think its more cool to say it this way).

Me: Whats up?

V: Ceiling.

Me: PJ.

V: You asked for it.

Me: Hows college?

V: Closed for summer holidays.

Me: Ohk, hows your bff A?

V: She's fine. Poor girl is in pain.

Me: Whats the matter with her?

V: She broke her arm.

Me: Wow, how did she break her arm?

V: Oh she forgot to take her pills so she fell down on the road.

Me: Huh? She fell down because she forgot her pills?

V: Ya, she keeps falling down for no reason every now and then. So she went to the doc. The doc gave her pills so she wouldnt fall.

Me: What?? Are you kidding?

V: No. She was doing fine with the pills. She forgot it the other day and so the accident.

Me: Crazy.

V: Yup.

Random...

2007-05-10T18:55:00.000-04:00

Its funny how one email, the same one, can have several different consequences on people. I could sense people’s anxiety, my own nervousness and a lot of emotions this week. And even though I am happy to come out without any adverse effects in this difficult time, I sincerely wish the others, who weren’t so fortunate, luck in their future endeavors.

===

Do you believe in coincidences? I do. I have been following my friend around for a long time. He has been moving around the country from the time I know him and coincidentally I have been going to the same places after him. It’s really funny because we bid each other goodbye everytime only to find ourselves back partying together again. There’s been a big gap this time but I hope it won’t be for long and he doesn't move elsewhere before I get to that place.

===

How does one know that they are making the best decision or if the decision they make would turn out in their best interests? When others ask me for advice, I somehow always seem to know what decision might be the best for them. But when it comes to me, I think life is like a statistical distribution with a set of random variables. Maybe what appears random to me may not be random to another person.

Random...

2007-04-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

A: I am disappointed in you.

B: But that’s the way I am.

A: That’s why I am disappointed.

- Mason Cooley

Daffodils...

2007-04-23T03:56:00.000-04:00

I watched ‘The Namesake’ last weekend, nice movie. I thought that some scenes in the movie were really vague, so now I want to read the book. Anyways, there is this scene where Tabu recites William Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” which was my favorite poem back in school apart from “Simon Snoot’s Whiskers”.

“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”

It is funny now how I loved the poem then but could not really relate to it. How could I relate to the vacant and pensive mood of the poet? I was hardly what, twelve years old?

But now I can. Whenever I am blue, I remember certain moments in life which made me happy. Be it laughing at my sister crying hysterically when Mihir in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki died (he returns later though, by popular demand), be it crying with my college friends at farewell party and also eyeing the hunks, be it resting my head on mom’s lap after a hard day at college (hard day at college, sneer) or be it hanging out of the local trains in Mumbai.

Ah, what bliss!

Bobby

2007-04-21T18:51:00.000-04:00

http://imdb.com/title/tt0308055/

Remarks of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, April 5, 1968

PS - While Bobby is a work of fiction, I have read that the film contains some historically accurate representations, that some of the characters portray the stories of real people.

To Young from Old...

2007-04-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

It is good to be around people who are elder to you at work. They somehow feel responsible for you and give you a lot of expert comments/advices.

"Get a lot of divorces or annulments before you get married to your guy. You will be rich and will never have to work again."

"All men are nice before marriage, they listen to you, they give you gifts. After marriage, well, you should be glad if he is home." [A woman's perspective]

"All women are nice before marriage, they seem sweet and innocent. After marriage, just agree to whatever they have to say because if you voice your opinion, you are a dead man." [A man's perpective]

"An arranged marriage might be a good deal. You might get married to someone far better by keeping your mouth shut and saying yes to your parents' choice than dating around for godknowshowmanyyears and saving yourself the ordeal of going through bad relationships."

"If I come to India and claim that I have lots of money, would your dad agree to give me your hand in marriage?"

"If someone expects more than you can deliver, just go to them with both hands extended. Tell them, if you give me cr*p in one hand and your wishes/dreams in another, which hand do you think would fill up first?"

SFO

2007-02-24T17:02:00.000-05:00

So its been a while since I have been in California and I am beginning to like this place. Initially when I came here, I thought it was much slower than the east coast. But a few trips here and there and I can see why people like California. As if being away from the harsh winter wasnt enough reason for me.

Anyways, I am sharing a few San Francisco pics (click on the pic to see it larger) for people who havent visited the place.

Check out the enthu guy in this video.

Lots of exploring still to be done but as of now, I just have one word for San Francisco ......................... AMAZING.

2007-02-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

"In the small circle of pain within the skull
You still shall tramp and tread one endless round
Of thought, to justify your action to yourselves,
Weaving a fiction which unravels as you weave,
Pacing forever in the hell of make-believe
Which never is belief: this is your fate on earth
And we must think no further of you."

- T. S. Eliot

Sigh...

2007-02-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

I get off from work.

Drive out of the parking lot, stop at the pedestrain crossing (dunno why). Its not the time people get out of the office typically, rather past that time actually.

But wait, who is that hunk walking out of the glass doors? Got to wait till he's all safe and sound on the other side. :D

Check my rearview mirror, no cars in sight, I got all the time in the world.

He's walking rather slowly, kinda like he's exhausted after work, busy thinking, probably making plans for dinner?

Looks up suddenly aware of his surroundings, glances at me and then away.

He instantly glances back.

I smile sheepishly for having been caught staring.

He smiles back, a smile that lights up his whole face, his eyes on me the whole time he crossed.

I look at my rearview mirror, a couple of cars lined up behind me.

Sigh.

I drive away, back home.

Luctor et emergo

2007-01-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

Found this Latin phrase online today. In English, it translates to 'I struggle but I'll survive'.

It can be found on the emblem of the Dutch province, Zeeland. The emblem has a picture of a lion standing on two legs immersed in water till its waist.

Luv ya Dwyane Wade

2007-01-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

Dallas Mavericks won in the first matchup between the teams (Mavs and Heat) since the last year's finals.The Mavericks never trailed as they surged past the Heat 99-93. Josh Howard scored 25 and grabbed nine boards, while Nowitzki tallied 22 points and 11 rebounds. Stackhouse added 23 points, 16 coming in the fourth quarter.

Dwyane Wade - who suffered a left ankle injury in the first quarter, but returned and played 44 minutes - finished with 31 points, six rebounds and six assists for Miami. I just love his ability to fight back and be there for the team even in times of injury.

Anyways, great going for the Mavs.

Random...

2007-01-17T14:50:00.000-05:00

I get attached to people so easily. I miss people I hardly know. And I totally hate that. Cant seem to control it though. Any remedies to this virus are welcome.

Fate

2007-01-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

I am an ardent fan of 'Sex and the City'. Somehow, I identify with each of the four characters in the story. I find a little bit of myself in each of them. Anyways, I was watching it somedays back and one particular sentence stuck to me and I have been thinking about it ever since. 'Can the mistakes we make in life change our fate?'

Fate or destiny, as we all know, is a predetermined course of events. Now if it is predetermined, can we change it in the course of our lives? Each person has encountered situations in life, where a choice has to be made. Some of the times, we do know which choice is correct. But in some others, we do not. We just make the best possible choice based on the given conditions. We make choices based on what we think is right or will be right for us. These choices might not always be right for us and this we realise later. Now, I have made many mistakes in life and although I regret having made them, I realise that they have been a learning experience for me. Each mistake has made me stronger. But, did these mistakes contribute in changing my fate? However, if fate is predetermined, there arises another possibility – was I born with multiple fates? Is the path that I am following in life and the decisions and mistakes I make narrowing it to one?

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

2006: The Year in Pictures

2006-12-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

Check out these pictures. Some are really good.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/16094272

Weird...

2006-12-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

So what is it with guys who work out? Why do they want to prove to girls that they go to the gym every single day? I mean, one can tell if the other person works out regularly by looking at them, right? Ok, so the first time a guy talked to me about his gym schedule and his workout, I thought to myself, maybe he loves going to the gym and wants to tell somebody about it. Either that or he is weird. But then some days back, I felt like I was having deja vu. Only this time, the guy was different.

I am on a cruise, sipping on my drink and standing on the deck, enjoying the NYC skyline, when Weird guy comes up to me and starts talking. I know this guy; we have met like 3-4 times. We are talking about general stuff when out of the blue, he starts this topic.

Weird guy: 'How come you are so thin?'
Me: 'Huh? I was born thin and luckily I havent gained too much weight over the years. I would like to gain a little weight though'
Weird guy: 'Wow, you are so lucky. You see this body (pointing to himself as if he was that perfectly chiseled Greek god). I have to work out everyday to keep it in shape.'
Me: 'Oh, that’s nice.'
Weird guy: 'Ya, I lift weights and do crunches and blah blah blah.' (he gave me a list of all the exercises, I dont remember them now)
Me: 'Cool, I go workout sometimes. Most of the times, I am just lazy.'
Weird guy: 'Well, why do you go the gym? (in an accusative tone) You are not fat.'
Me: 'I go the gym to exercise, not to lose weight. It helps keep a balance and I love the rush that I get when I am working out.'
Weird guy: 'Oh ya, you know what you should do. You should blah blah blah and more blah.'
Me: (looking around to find myself a way out) 'Ya'
Weird guy: 'I am building muscles and strengthening my body by weight lifting.'
Me: (not finding anyone familiar and resigned to my fate) ‘That’s nice.'
Weird guy: 'Ya, here (extending out his arm), feel my muscles.’
Me: 'What?? No thanks. '
Weird guy: 'Oh come on, just feel it.'
Me: 'Oh.....hey (looking at a random person and grinning), how are you? Long time....no see.’

Was I lucky or what to get out of there?

Ok pause. What’s the big deal about him working out? Every other person goes to the gym these days. Everyone is health conscious. So why are SOME guys being hyper about it?

Born to die?

2006-12-18T07:54:00.000-05:00

More than 10 million female births in India may have been lost to abortion and sex selection in the past 20 years, according to medical research. I was alarmed to hear this number because I thought or maybe I assumed that the number of female foeticide has gone down significantly over the years. But apparently, despite the rising literacy and booming growth rates, female infanticide, foeticide and every other form of female infant genocide in India still seems to be prevalent.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/09/news/india.php

As seen on bumper stickers...

2006-11-21T18:25:00.000-05:00

If you think you are perfect, try walking on water.

Why am I the only one on the planet that knows how to drive?

Never buy a car that you cant push.

The way I drive, I GOTTA have faith.

HONK if you want to see my finger.

Dont drink and drive. Drink, THEN drive.

Life comes at you fast...

2006-11-12T14:19:00.000-05:00

Just when you think that everything is going steady, things are going in a predicted way, it all changes. It happens in no time and before you can even think, your life has changed or is about to change drastically. You probably were wishing for a change but this was not what you had thought of, not what you had in mind, not what you would have predicted.

I guess change is the only steady thing in life. But I hate the initial part of making a change - decisions involved, hours of wondering what this change will bring to life, how this change will change the other aspects in your life, how this change involves letting go of certain things. The part I hate most is how a change leaves me with the feeling that I am totally clueless about my life, about what I want to do and that I have little or no control of what is going to happen.

'All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. '

2006-11-08T11:31:00.000-05:00

Funny...

Bande mein tha dum, Vande Mataram.

2006-10-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

The new hit film 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' is having such an impact on people in India that all I read in the local Indian newspaper today was politicians and film stars jumping on Gandhigiri bandwagons to commemorate Gandhiji's 137th birth anniversary. Every person, who has seen the film, has been raving about it and is applauding Gandhigiri. I find this really surprising because although foreigners (non Indians) respect the man, I have met many Indians personally who think that Gandhiji was a selfish man who could have done much better than what he really did for the nation. Its surprising to see how media affects people's thoughts and changes their impressions so quickly.

Quoting Gandhiji,

"If my faith burns bright, as I hope it will even if I stand alone,

I shall be alive in the grave, and what is more, speaking from it. "

The humble man sure is speaking. The world is listening.

Free will

2006-09-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of days, my friend and I have been discussing several political issues. I havent yet understood why he discusses it with me given the fact that I am not too fond of the subject. Anyways, my answer to most of the issues, ironically, was 'FREE WILL'. Its free will which makes people act the way they do. I feel, free will, in a way, also defines you coz for every situation in your life, you choose what you want to do or which direction to take. You choose to be a good person or to be a bad person. You choose to be a housewife throwing away that lucrative modeling job. You choose to marry a not so perfect guy who loves you rather than your 'perfect guy' who doesnt care. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that we apply free will each and every moment of our life. But is that just my thought? Can free will be applied to any situation?

I met an american couple yesterday who had recently moved in with the girls parents. When asked if they ate dinner together, the girl replied that her parents had dishes assigned for 15 days, so they ate 'A' on day 1, 'B' on day 2 and so on till day 15 and then on day 16, they were back to 'A'. "Do you'll never try anything different?", somebody asked. She replied, "Oh different isnt good. My dad doesnt like to eat anything different at all".

Hmmm, I repeat my question. Is the couple being forced to do something they do not really enjoy doing (specially since they are staying at the parents house)? Or are they really exercising free will here by doing something that would make the parents happy (and not get them kicked out)?

"So much the worse for free will!!!"

Easy to get along?

2006-09-05T12:54:00.000-04:00

I recently realised that being easy to get along with people can be a little difficult. I am a person who can be friends with anyone unless the other person gives me a very bad impression of himself/herself. Agreed I dont talk too much, but I've been told that I am a very good listener and somehow make the other person comfortable. I am fine with this coz I have a fair number of good friends. But I am a little confused now. My good friends, ofcourse mean no harm to me and always think of my well being, have started expecting a lot from me. I know that with closer relations, this 'expectation' does come into picture but people do not realise that this is also the cause of a relationship going sour. Now each of my good friends expects me to behave in a certain way or do something in a certain way. I suddenly feel pressurized because I know if I do a certain thing 'A' way, 'X' would not like it but if I do it 'B' way, 'X' would like it but 'Y' would not. I understand each person's point of view but am I doing things 'MY' way? Looks like being easy to get along with others is not allowing me to get along easily with myself.

PS - For all my good friends reading this post, please do not take me in a negative way. I appreciate and value your friendship. This is just a debate that I am having with myself, both sides weighing strong.

The Monty Hall Problem

2006-08-18T15:59:00.000-04:00

Check this out. I had never heard of the problem before, found it very interesting.

PS - Please disregard the comments, atleast the ones regarding me.

Subtitles

2006-08-07T14:23:00.000-04:00

My friends had come over to my place some days back and we were watching a movie on tv. So this one friend switched on the subtitles and the funny thing was that even though I dont use subtitles when I watch a movie normally, I was reading it then. And I was reading the whole thing (and I read pretty fast, thanks to my reading hobby) then watching what was happening. And it was annoying because I knew what the person was gonna say even before he/she actually said it.

I have always wanted to have the ability to read other people's minds from as long as I can remember. I guess everyone wants a special superpower for themselves and this is what I wanted and sometimes still want. But after that incident, I have kind of been thinking otherwise. If my wish ever came true, it would be the same as watching a movie with subtitles on and I would actually know what the other person is going to say or how he/she is going to react before they did it. Now that wouldnt be very entertaining, would it?

Naive...

2006-07-21T10:23:00.000-04:00

Recently, in the course of conversation, my friend told me that I am very naive. I was angry, well not because he did not call me cute or sweet but because knowingly/unknowingly what he said was right. Now when I say I am naive, it does not mean that if you show me a pumpkin and tell me it is an orange, I would believe it. I am naive coz I expect or believe in things which cannot be. I believe in fairy tales and happy endings. I believe that this world could be a much better place if we all try. It could be, if we just stop judging other people, do small deeds of kindness, think about the other person 1/10th of the amount we think about ourselves.

About the happy ending, ya maybe in the end (which is not now), everything would be good and I would be happy. Well definitely possible, only that the path leading to it sucks.

Ma knows All...

2006-07-04T20:13:00.000-04:00

One of my weekend practices is to call up home. So come Saturday morning, I ring up home, talk to my sis and then she hands over the phone to my mom. I had just uttered a hello when she started asking me what was wrong with my health, that my voice sounded as if I was ill and not in the best of conditions. Well, I was perfectly fine then and had no inkling of what lay in store for me. During the course of conversation, she came up with the topic a couple more times until she was convinced that I was allright. Well all said and done, an hour after my India call, I realised my body felt warm to my touch and my handy digital thermometer told me that I had high fever. Bodyache, headache and heavy headedness followed shortly and before I knew it, I was in bed.

I dont want to tell the latter part of the story but I am still amazed at how my mom caught wind of the oncoming fever that I was going to catch. As I lay in bed, burning with fever yet shivering, aching all over, I might have called out "Amma" like a zillion times.

Mother child relationship, very strange, eh? Very difficult to fathom.

Our deepest fear

2006-06-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love this poem, first heard it in a movie. It somehow makes me feel that I am not alone in feeling insecure about myself or in being afraid. It instills in me a new hope, a feeling that no matter how we are, we are all capable of doing great things.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not in just some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson , in Return to Love.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

2006-06-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

The Miami Heat won their first ever NBA title on Tuesday, June 20th. Dwayne Wade, who also won the MVP this year, was their primary scorer. He got plenty of help from his friends - Udonis Haslem, Antoine Walker, James Posey and Alonzo Mourning.

I have to applaud the Dallas Mavericks, who have had an awesome series. I thought that they would force Miami for Game 7. Well, they did try.

The funny part was that none of the Mavs were present for the trophy presentation. Even the crowd left the stadium. I guess Miami winning the title and celebrating on their home territory was not much of a sight for them.

When in Rome, Do as the Romans do.

2006-06-14T13:58:00.000-04:00

Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno's Steaks, which together with its chief rival, Pat's King of Steaks, forms the epicenter of an area described as "ground zero for cheesesteaks", has posted small signs telling customers, "This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING SPEAK ENGLISH." By posting the signs, Geno's owner Joseph Vento has drawn his restaurant and its signature sandwich into the eye of a political hurricane.

Misguided?

2006-05-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

So I get this email from a Christian friend of mine, WHY WOULD ANY CHRISTIAN PAY MONEY TO HOLLYWOOD TO SEE GOD MOCKED? And the email went on to say how the movie 'The DaVinci code' mocked God, defamed him and mocks the Church. It goes on to say that despite the assurances of a few well meaning but terribly misguided Christians, there is simply no reason to see the DaVinci Code.

Now I have read the DaVinci code and absolutely loved it. Wanted to see the movie but havent got a chance as yet. I love the book coz its very well written and is very gripping. Once I started reading the book, I couldnt place it down. I dont think the book really mocked God. I dont think that Jesus being married, if true, would have tarnished his divine image. And the most important thing, I really think it would depend on how the reader interprets the story. If being a Christian and reading the book, shakes your beliefs, then I would ask if you had faith as much as a mustard seed. I am one of those people who loves to say that I am spiritual but not religious. But, by faith, I am a Christian, and yes, I believe in Jesus. But I wouldnt accept every thing written in the Bible because there are things that are debatable in there. And I wouldnt blindly accept everything that the Church says too because the Church is an institution consisting only of humans. But I believe in God and in Jesus and believe that he came down as a man and was crucified. And there may be things we do not know of, not written anywhere. So why would something that MAY have happened shake my belief of what I believe DID happen?

But many people argue that watching the movie or reading the book itself points to the fact that you are weak in faith. So now I am wondering, am I one of those well meaning Christians who is terribly misguided?

PS - I have just aired my personal views through this post and I apologize to any reader who is intentionally/unintentionally hurt by it.

Random...

2006-05-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

Ever felt like you have lost a big battle, a battle you were fighting coz u believed in it and even though everyone was against you, you kept going? Its like rowing your boat against the tide and even though you know the tide is stronger than you and you would have to follow the flow, you still row against it and try to prove your point. Well it is difficult to get through, make it till the end and even if you didnt, atleast you have that sweet satisfaction.... the feeling that you tried.

Ever wondered?

2006-05-14T16:53:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered..

1) About the end of the world?

2) Why the grass on the other side always seems greener?

3) What would have happened if animals were smarter than men?

4) What would have happened if science did not exist?

5) If the sun and the moon were lovers, and if they were, when they met?

6) Why we always crave for things we do not have?

7) How trees/plants know when to bloom and when to wither?

8) How certain things make some people laugh and at the same time make others cry?

9) How we exist on this earth for years and then vanish into nothingness?

10) Why we wonder about stuff which we can never really understand or figure out?

Tagged

2006-05-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

Tagged by Hussain, so here goes...

Answer these questions instantaneously

1.Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
'Life of Pi', "A house is a compressed territory where our basic needs can be fulfilled close by and safely"

2.Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.& catch air?
Fell on my couch in the process. Wow, its fun to watch TV lying down.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Everybody loves Raymond.

4.Without looking, guess what time it is?
8:30

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
8:13

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
TV

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
An hour and a half back, went for a walk.

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Food.

9. What are you wearing?
T-shirt and track pants.

10. Did you dream last night?
Nope.

11. When did you last laugh?
Some seconds back, watching Raymond.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A clock, a painting.

13. Seen anything weird lately?
Not that I can remember.

14. What do you think of this quiz?
Too long.

15. What is the last film you saw?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

16. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A Corvette first.

17. Tell me something about you that I dunno.
I am a movie freak.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Nothing, I think God made everything there is in this world (however it is) for a reason.

19. Do you like to dance?
Yes.

20. George Bush.
President of USA.

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Havent thought of it.

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Havent thought of it.

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I am living abroad.

24.What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Can you hear me NOW?

25. 5 people who must also do this meme in their journal.
Hey guys, you dont have to do this if you dont want to.
1. Kripa
2. Shailen
3. Arvind
4. Hippy
5. Elektriksitar

Make a difference...

2006-05-07T11:12:00.000-04:00

Check this out...

This guy actually had the guts to stand up for the right thing.

There are real life heroes after all.

Funny...

2006-05-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

Talking of being funny, some people can be so funny without even knowing they cracked a joke.I have a friend, who makes me crack up for every other sentence she says.

We are watching "Fun with Dick and Jane", everyone is sprawled on the floor, after good helpings of pizza and beer. The movie starts off with the introduction of the main characters. So we have Dick (Jim Carrey) and Jane (Tea Leoni ) and then their dog (Scott or somethin). My friend who misses the name of the dog coz she was dozing off, gets up suddenly and comes up with this gem "Oh so we are watching Fun with Dick and Jane? What's the name of the dog? Fun?"

No offense missy, I loved that joke and still laugh when I remember it.

Why bother?

2006-04-15T18:08:00.000-04:00

Sachin Tendulkar was booed off by the crowd in Wankhede stadium. Can you believe that? I couldnt, when I first heard of it. All this to a man who has been considered to be the greatest cricketer of our times. For god sakes, he holds the highest number of runs and centuries, he has the highest individual score among all Indian batsmen, has the highest batting average among batsmen with over 10K ODI runs and holds the record for scoring 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year .... not just once but six times. Well thats not the end to his achievements. There are many and we all know about them. He hasnt been in the best form of his career lately but atleast respect the man for what he was and has done. The recent incident reminded me of a particular dialogue from a movie,
" The one thing people love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother? "

Innocent Assumption?

2006-04-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

Simple pleasures

2006-03-25T23:18:00.000-05:00

I was driving home from work yesterday evening. I have this habit, besides others, of observing people (sometimes I stare which I know is impolite) and when I drive, I tend to look in my rearview mirror at the person driving the car behind me. So anyways, I see this really cute guy, who had desi features, but am pretty sure wasnt a desi. He had got his dog in the rear seat. And since we were making a lot more stopovers coz of the traffic on Friday evening, I had all the time to watch what he was upto. This guy had a cup of icecream with him in his car and was happily eating it during the many stops we were having. What really amused me so much was that while I was getting all restless to be braking like a million times on a 10 min drive from my workplace to my home, he was enjoying himself over a simple cup of icecream and trying to make the most of the moment . I guess there is no matching the simple pleasures of life, is there?

What happens after?

2006-03-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever wondered what happens to our feelings when we do not feel them anymore? Let me elaborate what I mean. I meet a person today and form an impression about that person. So I have a feeling about that person right? Then I get to know him/her and maybe my feeling for that person changes. Lets suppose that when I met X, I did not like her. But when I get to know her, I see that X and I have lots of similar interests and infact I do like her. Maybe she becomes a great friend later on. But what happened to that feeling of 'not liking X' which I had before? Does it just vanish or does it still remain?

According to me, no feeling just evaporates. Infact it remains within us. Each feeling is independent so when we have new feelings, it does not necessarily eat up the other one and replace it. Its just that one feeling exceeds another. So in the case of X, my feeling of 'liking X' just exceeded the one of 'not liking' her.

Ok dont believe me? Take another case. Boy (B) meets Girl (G). Both fall in love. After going around for a while, both fight and B calls G names and vice versa. Now they break up and hate each other. But does the 'love' that existed between them die too? No, I dont think so. Its still there just that at the present moment, the 'hate' between them is greater than the 'love'. So, if tomm B goes and apologises to G and both patch up, the 'love' does not have to be built from start.

So now if this theory of mine is true, then boy oh boy, do we have tons and tons of feelings inside?

PS - I know my post seems crazy and people wont agree with me. But hey, I just wrote down what I feel and you are welcome to agree/disagree with me.

Independence

2006-03-06T00:24:00.000-05:00

What is the real meaning of independence?
Independence in dictionary terms means the quality of being independent or not being subject to control by others or not relying on something or somebody else. I have heard people say that they are very independent. Is that really true? How can a person not be relying on somebody else? How can a person just exist in this world without following others or helping others or seeking help from others? Every person needs atleast another person in one way or the other. Then is this idea of independence just a word which everyone fancies to use but dare not implement? I am not blaming anybody but just pointing to the fact that nobody can be independent.

Women specially claim nowadays that they do not want to be dependent ..... they exercise this whole issue against men. But then they do not stop and look that they are not becoming independent but in the run just avoiding men and maybe relying more on other women.

Then some other times when I think of the whole issue, I feel that since God created us one at a time, didnt he also mean us to stay alone if there is no one around for support or to lean on? So I guess when situations do arise, each person can live without another. And so when we do have family and friends around to share our happiness and grief, why bother about all this, right?

Whats in a name?

2006-02-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'

Is that what everyone thinks? Well, I think not.

My name, as simple as it is (once you know it), has been changed and renamed beyond recognition to me.What may this name be, you might say. My name is Shiji. I have been wondering about why my parents would name me that way but havent got a clue in these more than 20 odd years (age has been protected out of respect for the privacy of the author). Nobody gets my name in the first go. Well that is allright, I do not expect everyone to be a Malayali. Having been brought up in Mumbai, I have been surrounded by Gujuratis and Maharashtrians. For Gujuratis, I am Shriji. For Maharasthrians, I am Shivaji. Can you believe that? How can people turn Shiji into Shriji and Shivaji? (If you think that is bad enough, wait till you hear the different versions of my surname) And no matter how hard I try to tell them that it is not so, only makes them say it with all the more vigor. But then the point to be noted here is that both versions of my name are names of great people and I can take the compliment, however indirect it is.

Well to top that, all Indian names have a meaning to it. What do I make of Shiji?

People come to me and ask me, "Well allright, your name is Shiji but what does it mean?"

Me - "It does not mean anything."

People (with shocked disbelief) - "What do you mean by that? How can it not mean anything?"

It was allright back in India. But I have had people other than Indians coming and asking me that. It became so bad that I could stand it no longer. I had to go and try to find the meaning of my name. I mean after all this, how can I not have a significance to my name? I ask my family members what it means and they all laugh at me. They tell me that I am lucky they named me Shiji and not Kochumol or Soshammakutty or something.

After the support that I got from them, I tried googling my name and found that it meant something in Chinese. I had to go ask some Chinese friends at work to know it. It has a couple of meanings it seems. It could be 'fact' or also 'ancient'. So there, I am an ancient fact. Now how could I have overlooked that?

To feel or not to feel

2006-02-12T01:43:00.000-05:00

Emotions, according to me, should be locked up in a bottle. They should never be let out. If it is let out, all hell breaks loose. What I meant to say by this statement is that a human mind can go though so many different emotions at the same time. I guess one emotion leads to another and then another and the cycle continues.

Take a relationship for example. Most relationships start out with friendship, where you feel a sense of trust, sharing, a bonding with the other person. Then you may start feeling attracted to the person. Then maybe you start loving him/her. And you think that it is the end of it, coz then life will be happy ever after. But no. With love comes expectations. You expect the other person to do certain things or do things in a certain manner. You expect him/her to love you the way you do, think the same way you do or do the things you want them to do. This leads to fights, displeasure, arguments which may lead to a break up, pain, hatred and later indifference. Well it necessarily doesnt have to end that way but then what I am saying is that one emotion/feeling leads to another. It keeps going on, never ending.

But I think this is one characteristic which distinguishes us from all other living beings. And I am writing this post because some emotion has triggered me to come up with the thought that humans should be spared of any emotions possible.

Grad School.....

2006-01-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

I would like to recount a funny incident from my grad school.

I am from India and coming to grad school here in the US was a new and different experience. There were so many new things to be learned, many new things to be discovered.
Anyways, classes used to be fun coz we had a whole Indian crowd in our university and it didnt feel any different from classes back home except for the fact that some of the professors were non Indians.

So this one day, my roomie and I were running to class. We were still following IST (ie Indian Standard time) and we meet another friend on the way who is in the same class. She claims to know a shortcut to get us to the classroom sooner so we follow her.

We lose her somewhere in between and end up standing in this big computer lab. We were sure that our friend had come in here so we try to look where she could have gotten out of this lab from. We find an exit and make a hasty run towards it. I open a door and my roomie opens the other and lo... there is some kind of siren ringing. We were glued to the places we were standing, holding both doors open and our breath still. All the people in the lab kept staring at us and we in turn looking at everyone to see what had caused the siren. Two of the lab workers came running towards us, pulled us away from the door and closed it and entered some kind of code into it. It was only then that my roomie and I looked up at the sign on the door which read 'EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY'.

PS - For people wondering where the friend who led the path disappeared, she had just taken the stairs near the lab to get her to class on time. She also kept wondering how we managed to vanish into thin air.

My friday night...

2005-12-10T01:42:00.000-05:00

I went to this party tonight with people from my work. One of the agencies we hire was throwing out a party. The food was good, drinks were plenty and people were having fun. Atleast until this one guy from the agency got totally drunk and decided to go after all the girls in our team. His first target was X who is tall, pretty, smart and outgoing. She is very independent and aggressive, a kind of girl whom all girls like to be in their lives. He soon realised he had made the wrong choice, after she kind of told him straight on his face that he wasnt being very nice to her. He then went for Y, who is very cute, a little towards the plump side which I must say many guys find attractive. He went way beyond the normal (here by normal, I mean normal in a professional way) limit with her...... touching her and laying his hand on her legs under the table. She ran off for dear life when the guy went to empty himself in the loo.

Now it turned out there was no one sitting near this drunk chap. To make it not look so odd, my manager who was some places away from him called me to sit well not next to the drunk chap but a seat away from him. His thought was that since I am much younger to him, he wouldnt hit on me. Well I wasnt really sure how to take this. I mean was I supposed to feel good that my manager thinks I am pretty young or was I supposed to sulk that he thought that I wasnt good looking enough to be hit on?

Oh sure I am glad that the guy did not approach me. I wasnt born beautiful but god hasnt entirely ignored me either. I get attention from guys and I crib about that but then I wonder is cribbing about attention way better than the lack of it?

creeper creeper on the wall

2005-12-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

I like having plants at home, specially the money plant (atleast that is what we call it back home), maybe a hobby I inherited from my mother. Anyways some days back I got the creeper from someone. I didnt have an extra vase and so put it along with the bamboo shoot I have. Being busy with work, I completely forgot about it till today. I was just replacing the vase with fresh water when I saw how the creeper had made itself home in the vase. Of course since it is a creeper, it requires the support of the bamboo shoot but what fascinated me was the way it was clutching on to the shoot. It reminded me of the manner in which young children hold on to their mothers.

It strangely also reminded me of how we cling to each other for support or even cling to things....... So then I dont understand all the talk men and women keep giving about being independent?